"Ah. " Daniel nodded and the butler continued.
"After that the events in the house became rather confusing to me," Haversham admitted. "I felt a draft as I passed the library, opened the door to see that the French doors were wide open, went in to close them and saw something lying on the lawn. Realizing it was Master George half wrapped in a blanket, I looked up and saw Lord Woodrow and Lady Suzette in the window in a passionate embrace. "
Everyone turned to peer at Daniel. He shifted and murmured an uncomfortable,
"Erm. " And then Haversham drew the attention back to himself, saying,
"I left Master George as I found him and started upstairs, but heard L
ady Lisa and Lord Richard talking and realized that she - and I therefore assumed everyone else - believed Lord Richard was Dicky. It appeared to me then that he was simply going to remove George's body and step back into his life and al would be wel . I nearly left then to - "
"Left?" Christiana interrupted with surprise.
"I am a murderer, my lady, leaving did seem wise," he said gently. "However, I decided I should wait to be sure the transition went without difficulty. Besides, there was stil Freddy to worry about. He would surely realize that Richard was not George, and I thought I had best see how he decided to handle it. If he just pretended he didn't know and carried on I would have slipped quietly away and retired. However, if he didn't and caused trouble I wished to be on the scene to help right things.
"That is done now," he added on a smal sigh. "And I feel quite certain al wil be wel from here on in, so if no one protests, I shal col ect my things and begin my retirement . . . on the continent. "
Much to Christiana's relief, Richard slipped past her and moved to the man. At least she was relieved at first, but much to her dismay he merely shook the man's hand and thanked him for everything and then walked him out of the room.
"He isn't going to let him leave, is he?" she whispered with dismay.
"It would appear he is," Daniel murmured, and then moved toward the door as wel , saying, "I should go tel Suzette everything is resolved and we can head for Gretna Green. "
"Wait for me," Robert said, hurrying after him.
Christiana watched them go with a frown, but then glanced to her father as he moved to her side.
"Are you al right?" he asked with concern.
"I - Yes," she sighed and then said, "I need to talk to Richard. "
Her father nodded, not appearing surprised. "I shal go check on the girls then. "
Christiana walked with him to the door, but as he continued on to the parlor, she turned toward the front door, relieved when she spotted Richard and Haversham there, speaking quietly.
"Richard, you can't let him go like this," she protested rushing to join them, but paused with surprise when she saw the smal chest and bag waiting to the side of the front door. The butler was already packed and ready to go. Frowning at that, she turned to Richard and added, "He only kil ed George to save my sisters and me. "
"This is for the best, Christiana," Richard said quietly, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her against his side.
"He is right, my lady. Besides I wish it this way. I am getting far too old to perform my duties as I should. It is time I retired," Haversham said, opening the door before bending to pick up his chest and bag. Straightening, he turned back and added, "I wish you both a happy and healthy life together. " Then he turned and strode out the door.
"Richard," Christiana begged, trying to pul free and go after the man.
"Let him go, Christiana," Richard said quietly. "It real y is for the best. "
"Why? Kil ing George was a spur of the moment, desperate effort to save my sisters and me. He - "
"He used cyanide, Christiana," Richard said quietly. "That is not something a person typical y keeps sitting about the house. It suggests premeditation. "
Her eyes widened as she realized what he said was true and then she turned to watch Haversham get into a carriage waiting on the road. The man had planned his exit down to the last detail.
"You don't real y think it was premeditated do you?" she asked with a frown.
Richard hesitated and then said, "Haversham plans everything. He is a very careful man and always has been. I suspect he intended to kil George eventual y, probably as punishment for his kil ing me, but also to rid you of the man and the miserable marriage he'd trapped you into. I suspect Haversham had been planning it for some time before actual y doing it. He was most likely just waiting in the hopes that you would produce an heir. "
When Christiana glanced at him with surprise, he shrugged.
"Haversham is traditional. He would see the continuing of the family line as important," he explained. "No doubt by the time he overheard George talking to Freddy, he'd realized that George never visited your room and there would be no heir. There was no longer a reason to wait, so he kil ed him. "
Richard closed the door as the carriage pul ed away. "He knows I would realize al this, and that the only way my conscience would al ow me to stay mum on the murder was if he was gone and beyond the reaches of English law. "
"Surely you wouldn't have turned him in?" she asked with amazement.
"Everything would have had to be revealed then, what George did, that we weren't legal y married . . . everything. "
"I realize that, and I don't know if I would have actual y turned him in knowing the outcome," he admitted quietly. "But I would have wrestled with the decision.
Haversham knows me wel enough to know that, which is - I think - why he said he was going to retire to the continent. He wil be beyond English law and revealing what he did would accomplish nothing but cause trouble and pain for those I love. Now I don't have to wrestle with the decision. "
"I see," she murmured.
"Is everyone stil in the office?" Richard asked.
"No, Daniel went to tel Suzette - Oh," she breathed suddenly.
"What?" He glanced at her with concern.
"I just realized. Suzette doesn't have to marry Daniel now. The markers are in the office somewhere and - "
"I think you might want to keep that bit of information to yourself for a bit,"
Richard interrupted.
Christiana's eyebrows rose. "Why?"
"Because Daniel real y wants to marry Suzette, and I think she wants to marry him too, but Daniel thinks she needs the markers as an excuse or may become difficult. "
She considered that solemnly. The conversation she'd had with Suzette today had made her suspect her sister real y did care for Daniel. In fact, she'd seemed quite disgruntled over the idea that Daniel was only marrying her for the dower which made her ask, "Does he want her for her dower?"
Richard grinned and shook his head. "He's almost as rich as I. "
Her eyes widened incredulously. "Then why - ?"
"She fascinates him and he wants her. In truth, I think he's half in love with her. "
"I think she may be fal ing in love with him too," Christiana said quietly. "Why do we not just tel them and - "
"Daniel believes, and your father concurred, that Suzette is just contrary enough to refuse to marry him despite her feelings if she finds out she doesn't have to. He also thinks that your year of marriage with George has put her off the idea of marriage altogether. " He raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
Christiana grimaced. "I think he knows her very wel . "
"Then perhaps we can just keep the information about the markers to ourselves until we see how things go," he suggested, and then smiled wryly. " 'Tis a bit of good fortune for Daniel that Suzette wasn't in the room to hear al that business. "
"Yes, I suppose," Christiana murmured, thinking she would wait a bit, but she would tel Suzette before she and Daniel married. Her conscience wouldn't al ow her to do otherwise. She changed the subject then, asking, "If Haversham kil ed George, does that mean the carriage accident was just that, an accident?"
Richard frowned. "It could have been, I suppose. It was only George's murder combined with the fact that three spokes on the carriage wheel seemed relatively straight that made us think otherwise. I guess they could have simply broken that way as the wheel col apsed. Stranger things have happened. "
"But what about the post chaise that nearly ran you down today?" she pointed out.
He frowned and considered, but then sighed and said, "Accidents do happen and drivers lose control of carriages. It's possible it was just an accident and we put it down as a murder attempt because George was poisoned. "
Christiana frowned, not convinced. "We shal have to be careful and alert for a while un
til we are sure. "
Richard smiled and drew her against his chest with a sigh. "I love you too. "
Christiana glanced up sharply. "What?"
Taking her face in both hands, he said firmly, "I said, I love you too. "
"You do?" Christiana breathed with wonder, and then realized he'd said I love you too and smiled wryly. "You did hear what I said to Father outside then?"
Richard nodded and then asked, "You did mean it, didn't you? You weren't just saying it to ease your father's worries and - ?"
"I meant it," she interrupted, covering his hands with her own.
"Thank God," he breathed, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Christiana sighed, her body melting against his and arms sliding up around his neck. She did love his kisses, they stirred her like nothing she'd ever before experienced, and apparently stirred him too, she realized as she felt him hardening against her.
"Richard?" she whispered, tearing her mouth from his.
"Yes?" he murmured, kissing her ear in lieu of her lips.
"Why do we not go upstairs?"
"Upstairs?" He stopped kissing her to pul back and peer at her face uncertainly.
Christiana nodded, pressed more tightly against his growing erection, and murmured, "I should like to discuss our feelings further . . . in the bedroom,"
she added shyly in case he was misunderstanding her meaning.
Richard's eyebrows flew up, and then he caught her hand and turned to start toward the stairs, only to pause abruptly as the parlor door suddenly burst open and Daniel and the others hurried out.
"Richard," Daniel said spying them by the stairs and heading their way. "Now that the blackmailer is caught and the identity of the murderer found there is no reason to delay. We are heading for Gretna Green at once. "
Christiana heard Richard groan, and could have groaned with him, but then he suddenly straightened and said, "Certainly, we shal leave first thing in the morning. "
"The morning?" Daniel frowned.
"Wel , the women wil have to pack and - " he began, but Suzette interrupted him.
"The chests are stil packed from this morning. At least mine is," she added with a frown and glanced to Lisa in question.
"Mine too," Lisa said.
Suzette glanced to Christiana next and she hesitated briefly, but then nodded.
"So is mine. "
Richard ducked his head to her ear and muttered, "You could have lied. "
"I am a terrible liar. Besides, al is not lost. Trust me," she whispered back.
"Richard, is your carriage stil out front?" Daniel asked. "I don't recal you sending it to the stables. "
"I didn't," Richard answered. "I wasn't sure we wouldn't need it again. "
"Mine is stil out front as wel ," Robert announced. "They just need to be loaded. "
"Excel ent. " Daniel clapped his hands with satisfaction. "Then we merely need to have mine prepared and brought around, load them up and we can -
Damn," Daniel interrupted himself, and muttered, "I forgot my carriage is presently out of commission. I wil have to rent one. "
"We can use mine," Lord Madison offered at once. "It is out front. "
"Perfect," Christiana breathed.
"Why is it perfect?" Richard asked under his breath.
"The Madison carriage is a coach. Five or even more can ride in it comfortably. "
He appeared perplexed as to how that could be perfect, but Christiana just grabbed his hand, gave it a squeeze and drew him with her as she backed toward the front door. "Lisa, wil you see that Grace and the chest holding Richard's and my clothes aren't forgotten?"
"Of course," she said with surprise. "But where wil you be?"
Christiana reached behind her for the door. "We are going to head out at once.
We have something to do. We shal wait for you at Stevenage," she announced and then before anyone could protest or ask further questions, Christiana pul ed the door open and hurried out, tugging Richard with her.
"What is the something we have to do?" he asked as they hurried to the Radnor carriage.
"I shal explain in the carriage," she assured him and moved to the door while he moved to speak to the driver. By the time he entered, she had closed the smal curtains at the windows. Richard eyed them with surprise as he sank on the bench opposite her.
"What - ?" he began, and then swal owed the rest of his question when she tugged the sleeves of her gown off her shoulders and then shimmied her arms out of it. His breath then came out on a long, "Ohhhh," as the material dropped to pool around her waist. Reaching across the space between them, Richard caught her by the waist and promptly pul ed her from her seat to straddle his lap. Christiana sighed with relief as she slid her arms around his neck. She was trying to be as brazen as she wanted and not al ow fear to hold her back, but truly, she'd felt terribly vulnerable baring herself like that so was glad not to feel so on display anymore.
"So this is the something we had to do?" Richard asked, his hands moving over her back in circles. Christiana nodded. "I seemed to recal from our last journey to Gretna that we could . . . discuss our feelings almost as wel in the carriage as in our room,"
she whispered, pressing a kiss to the scrape on his forehead. "So I thought perhaps . . . "
The words died on a gasp as his hands found her breasts and squeezed gently.
When he then used his hold to urge her up, Christiana obeyed and rose on her knees until her chest was in front of his face. Richard immediately took one hardening nipple into his mouth, rasping it with his tongue and then suckling briefly, before releasing it to peer up at her.
"Have I told you how bril iant I think you are?" he asked solemnly.
She blinked in surprise, but shook her head.
"Wel I do, and you are," he assured her, his hands moving over her hips and then down to slip under her skirts. "I find you lovely. " He pressed a kiss to the spot between her breasts. "Intel igent. " His hands glided up the outside of her legs.
"Resourceful. " He licked one nipple, nipped at it, then suckled briefly, before releasing it to say, "Amusing. " His mouth dipped to the other breast, attending that nipple as one hand closed around her hip and the other slipped between her legs.
"Charming. "
"Richard," Christiana gasped as his fingers found her core.
"Hush," he murmured against her breast. "I am discussing my feelings. " And then he paused, his hands stil ing as he raised his head to ask. "Or have you heard enough? Shal I stop?"
Christiana shook her head at once. "No, husband. Pray continue. "
Christiana shook her head at once. "No, husband. Pray continue. "
A slow smiled claimed his lips and he al owed his fingers to strum over her again as he said solemnly, "I fear it could take a very long time for me to tel you al of them. "
"Then perhaps you should just show me," she suggested breathlessly, and bit her lip as his fingers slid across her damp skin.
"It would be my pleasure," he assured her, and proceeded to do so.